This invention relates to a case-stand for an eyewear system. More specifically, the invention relates to a case-stand which serves as a case and stand for eyewear comprising a pair of lenses held spaced apart by a central nosepiece and having temple elements in the form of thin filaments.
There has been developing a popularity for eyewear of the type as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,609 to Donald M. Reese, issued May 13, 1980 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,933 to David R. Lear issued Aug. 27, 1991. Such "suspension" eyewear, as it has been called, initially looks like a pince-nez. However, the lenses are actually supported adjacent to their outside edges respectively by pairs of almost invisible thin flexible retaining filaments of plastic. On each side of the eyewear these filaments are attached at their forward ends at spaced points to the lens, and are attached at their rearward ends to the forward end of a question-mark-shaped earpiece. "Filament" as used herein includes any flexible strand, wire or line.
Such eyewear systems have the advantages of security of position and comfort not afforded by the ordinary metal or plastic rigid temple bar eyewear. Because of this security, such eyewear systems have the desirable advantage of always being in the same position relative to the eye - - - at the proper angle and at the proper distance from the eye. They will not slide down one's nose in a tennis game. They will not fly off in contact sports. In general, they are not susceptible to being dislodged by movement as experienced during active sports or other activities. This security is a great convenience. Further, the sure alignment at a given spot, angle and place relative to the position of the eye minimizes distortion and makes for steadfast clarity of vision.
At the same time, the aforesaid comfort gives the wearer the impression that he has on no glasses at all. Eliminated are the oppressive rubbing of the nose pads on the sides of the nose, the weighting on the top of the ears, and the indenting of the temple bar against the side of the head forward of the ear. Because these glasses have no rigid temple bars, are rimless and are made from lightweight plastic such as polycarbonate, the never-before-experienced comfort and freedom are remarkable to the wearer.
Users of the eyewear system thus described have been occasionally inconvenienced by having the retaining filaments and earpieces become tangled when the system is set down on the bathroom sink or bedside table. It has, therefore, taken a moment to untangle the strands before putting them back on. The untangling has, of course, involved the repositioning of the earpieces, and usually this is done after untangling by taking an earpiece in each hand so that the lenses are suspended below the earpieces and then hooking the earpieces over the ears one-by-one or simultaneously.
The inconvenience referred to above, though minor and merely pesky, has resulted in a call for some kind of support or stand for such glasses for periods of non-use whereby the two separate earpieces and their attached filaments are kept segregated one side from another and in a position whereby they can be readily picked up by the earpieces and returned to normal wearing position. In addition, a sturdy protective traveling case holding the system in untangled attitude has been sought. It is with a case-stand for "managing" such eyewear that the present invention is concerned.